Longtime readers of this blog might have noticed that I kind of have a thing for Philip K. Dick. Not in a sexual, or even a psychosexual way, but in a sort of fan-cultish way that has bordered on unhealthy obsession in the past.
The ultimate irony of this relationship between author ( now long dead ) and reader is that I've read very little of his material. I've read more about him than I've read anything by him.
So I'm going to change that. I've already read and
reviewed his book
Confessions of a Crap Artist, which is an absolutely brilliant book with a genius behind it that really does need recognition, but that was one of his 'straight' novels. Philip K. Dick was, for most of his career, and despite his best efforts at times, a science fiction writer.
Or rather, he took many of the themes in his straight fiction, and layered science fiction over top of them. The book is the same, just geared toward a different reader, and rather unfettered by such petty things as 'reality' ( which is perfectly fine ).
Now, the latest of his books that I want to review, which I just finished reading late last night, is one of his classics:
The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch. Frankly, I don't think that I can even review this book in its entirety after reading it only the once. I think it's the kind of book that you need to read several times, in order to get the different nuances, the different references and themes, out of it.
But I'll do the best that I can for now ( for a more detailed analysis for someone who knows much more than I on the subject, go
here ). Here's a brief synopsis, from the back cover ( I don't want to give too much else away; you'll have to read it for yourself ):
Not too long from now, when exiles from a blistering Earth huddle miserably in Martian colonies, the only things that make life bearable are the drugs. Can-D "translates" those who take it into the bodies of Barbie-like dolls. Now there's competition - a substance called Chew-Z marketed under the slogan : "God promises eternal life. We can deliver it." The questions is: What kind of eternity? And who - or what - is the deliverer?
In this wildly disorienting funhouse of a novel, populated by God-like - or perhaps Satanic - takeover artists and corporate psychics, Philip K. Dick explores mysteries that were once the property of S. Paul and Aquinas. His wit, compassion, and knife-edged irony make The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch moving as well as genuinely visionary.
The thing about Philip K. Dick is that, at times, he can be quite an inelegant writer. And at other times, he can have grandiose moments of flowing poetry that almost seem out of place in rather mundane, undeserving situations.
But that's O.K., because viewed as a whole, he was a damned good writer. One of his great strengths is his ability to weave together a varying number of different threads into one, coherent, story - people who you would otherwise think unrelated
are related somehow, and while it sometimes takes a little while for these multiple characters - with their corresponding viewpoints - to coalesce and come into coherence, when it happens it really is an impressive spectacle.
The Three Stigmata is no exception.
About the only thing that I was disappointed about when reading this book was that the Chew-Z trip, as originally experienced by Leo Bulero, wasn't longer than it was ( this is my own fault, and not PKD's ). But, as I kept reading, of course, and the threads started to come together, I realized that I really had under-estimated the extent of the trip, and as Barney Mayerson went under as well, things really got interesting - although I found that Mayerson's trip was perhaps a bit more revealing, and in-depth than Leo Bulero's. Again, with the threads coming together, I suppose.
The over-arching principle of the book is fascinating in its scope and span. I don't even think that I fully grasped it, and all of its implications - the Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch manifesting themselves in more and more people - which is a good part of why I said that this book merits re-reading to fully grasp all of its nuance and themes.
Needless to say, I highly recommend this book, but with a caveat: you will probably find it confusing and bewildering, to an extent at least. Don't worry - it all comes together in the end; it kind of relies on a bit of faith on the reader's part - but if you're just looking for a kind of fun, space fantasy romp,
The Three Stigmata isn't it.
However, if you want an engaging, intriguing, surprising, and bewildering ride, then I would suggest that you read this book. I think it may well be more profound than we might give it credit for after the initial read - superficially, perhaps not, but dig a little deeper and there's plenty of food-for-thought there.
The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch. Check it out.
